Understanding
by foscari
Summary: Piper and Chris to an understanding between them. One shot.


Title: Understanding

Rating: PG

Category: General/Angst

Spoilers: The Courtship of Wyatt's Father

Summary: The aftermath. Piper and Chris come to terms with their relationship.

Disclaimer: Charmed belongs to Constance M. Burge and WB.

AN: I'm disappointed at how quickly the way Piper came to accept Chris as her son, so I came up with this little story on how they managed to get through the awkwardness of it all. :)

* * *

She saw him making his way through the crowd towards the bar, towards her. P3 was crowded with people today. It was the weekend and was expected. She watched as he avoid colliding with a young dancing couple. She could feel the apprehension radiating off him like waves. Hell, she was just as nervous as he was. It had only been yesterday she found out who he really is.  
  
Her son...the baby that was growing inside her. She touched her belly lightly then turned her attention back to him again. He stopped at the bar, hesitant, nervous, afraid. The eyes reflected it all. She was going to make the first move.  
  
"Hey," she said softly.  
  
"Hey," he returned, leaning on the counter.  
  
"You want a drink?" she asked casually. Pretend that everything was okay between them. For now.  
  
"Yeah, sure." He perked up slightly at the gesture, obviously hoping she was in a good mood tonight. She handed him the glass of amber liquid. He took a sip.  
  
There was a moment of awkwardness before she turned to serve another customer then back to him again, after telling her bartender to handle the customers for a while. She placed her hands on the counter top, as if bracing herself for the worse.  
  
"Was I...horrible?" she asked hesitantly. "Is that why you didn't tell me, tell us?"  
  
He inhaled sharply, not quite expecting such a question from her. He had thought she would ask about his older brother, the future, anything but that. He looked her over, carefully keeping his emotions in check and answered her truthfully.  
  
"No, you were wonderful, a great mom," he replied with the smallest of smiles.  
  
"Then..." She looked at him, slightly relieved to know she wasn't the horrible mother she always thought she might turned out to be. She was still bewildered by his behavior all through the months he was here. "Why?"  
  
"I can't let you know too much about the future," he said softly, gently, trying to dissuade her from asking anymore. "It might change the timeline, for better or worse, I can't tell."  
  
"But you came back here, to save Wyatt, to save us all," she said. "Shouldn't that have changed something in your future?"  
  
"Maybe. Maybe not." He smiled at her sadly. "I don't know how much I've changed in the timeline."  
  
She nodded, understanding, not wanting to press him anymore than necessary. "All those lies..."  
  
"I had to," he said in a pained tone. "Believe me, when I say that I never meant for everything to go out of control. I never wanted to hurt any one of you, especially you. I'm sorry."  
  
"It must have been a pretty desperate mission for you to risk everything," she remarked. "It must be painful for you."  
  
He looked down at the counter top, closing his eyes. She had no idea how much it had pained him to see them all again, so alive, living and knowing when he went back, he was going back to a home without them. To see how his actions had hurt her, disappoint her was the worse. He had never earned her wrath, unlike his older brother. He had always been her perfect angel.  
  
A firm hand cupped his chin, bringing his head back up. She was now looking at him, a myriad of emotions crossing her face. She reached up with the hand, fingertips light against his skin, almost gentle as she traced his features. From forehead down to his jawline, the bridge of his nose down to his full lips, her thumb over his eyebrow. She could see it now, what she had never notice before.  
  
His expression mirrored her own. The same shade of hair, the wide eyes with their conflicted emotions held in check, the facial structure, the firm chin. All of it hers. He had taken after her looks. Only his height and his Whitelighter powers were from Leo. The rest were hers alone.  
  
"Chris." She cupped his cheek with her palm in a gentle manner that surprised even her. He leaned into her palm with an almost sense of longing, for someone who had been away from home far too long now, far too alone in a different time than his own.  
  
"I'm sorry," he whispered.  
  
"Don't," she ordered, sounding rough. "Don't be. You don't have to be sorry for everything. Your actions justified what you believed was right, I supposed."  
  
"Does it?" He let out a hollow laugh. "I barge right into your lives, turn it upside down. I've lied to all you every single time. I split you and Leo apart. All for one mission that I'm not even sure if it'll succeed."  
  
"Look at me, honey," she said firmly. "It will succeed because you came here not to just save Wyatt but all of us, your future. I know you will. You're a Charmed One." Her face softened, a smile on her lips at him. "And you know how we always beat the odds."  
  
'Yeah, I do." Memories of his future past came unbidden at her words. They have always beaten the odds against them. Until that day...They've lost. The memories were foggy, only bits and pieces at best when he tried to recall them. There's always been the suspicion that his brother or father had altered that memory of that day, erased it. The memory of her dying in his arms as he wept for her, for the painful loss, for the heartbreak remained. After that, everything was fuzzy.  
  
"Something happened, didn't it?" she asked, quick to catch on, seeing the haunted look reflected in his eyes.  
  
He quickly banished that day away from his mind, turned his attention to her, forced a smile on his face. For her sake, for his sake. She can never know of the horrors of that day. Not yet.  
  
"Of course not," he answered glibly. ""Like you said, we've always beaten the odds."  
  
She appeared doubtful but decided to take his words. There will be a time later to question him. Now was not the time. Her face lit up when she saw her sisters approaching the bar, both chattering away, probably about their latest conquest or work or something else.  
  
"Hey you two," greeted Paige. "Getting acquainted, are we?" She nudged her older sister with a knowing look. Phoebe grinned back.  
  
"So, are you two going to get along now or what?" asked Phoebe.  
  
Piper Halliwell, eldest and most powerful of the Charmed Ones, smiled at her sisters sweetly. What was said between her and her future son would remained between them. She and Chris exchanged looks and small smiles.  
  
"Perhaps." Piper shrugged, acting indifferent. What was important, she and her son had finally come to an understanding.  
  
The two were vaguely disappointed at not having anymore details but knew better than to press her for details.  
  
"Well, that settles it," announced Paige. "Why don't we have a toast?"  
  
"Toast what?" Piper asked, curious.  
  
"Our newfound relationship with our nephew!" Paige beamed. "What do you say?"  
  
"Sounds fair enough," Chris said, shrugging. He turned to his mother. She gave a why not? look and followed, lifting her own glass of ginger ale and clinking their glasses together.  
  
Later that night as Chris reflected what had happened, he felt the burden around his shoulders had lightened. He was no longer alone.  
  
He was home.  
  
Finished.


End file.
